“LUMINOUS” – UA SYMPHONIC CHOIR

The Fred Fox School of Music presents The University of Arizona Symphonic Choir in concert on Sunday, February 18, 2018. The free-admission performance will take place at 3:00 p.m. in St. Mark’s United Methodist Church (1431 W. Magee Road).

Symphonic Choir hosts a dynamic and eclectic program titled “Luminous,” featuring music on the theme of light. The concert is in three parts, opening with roots music of the Shawnee, Appalachia and Brazil. Contemporary works by UA alumnus Anthony Bernarducci, American composer Ola Gjeilo and Norwegian composer Trond Kverno follow.

“Luminous Night of the Soul” by Gjeilo, for piano, string quartet and choir, also will feature the choreography of Christie Kerr performed by dancers form the BFA program in musical theatre.

The program closes with choral settings of popular works recorded by the Wailin’ Jennys, Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah. Visual images of light selected and presented by UA astronomer Thomas Fleming will accompany the performance. Symphonic Choir is under the direction of Elizabeth Schauer.

Symphonic Choir, the select undergraduate ensemble at the University of Arizona, was begun under the guidance of John Bloom and carries on a sixty five-year tradition of choral excellence. In addition to performing formal concerts on campus, on Tucson-area concert series, and on tours throughout the Southwest, the choir collaborates with university and professional ensembles, including on performances of Bach “Matthäuspassion” and Brahms “Ein deutsches Requiem” (University of Arizona), Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Chorus) and Mozart Requiem (University Community Chorus and Orchestra). Students represent a broad variety of disciplines and hail from throughout the United States. The group’s repertoire embraces music from many cultures and from every historical period up to and including premières of new works and those commissioned especially for the choir. The ensemble was recently honored to perform for the 2014 and 2010 Western Divisional Conferences of American Choral Directors Association, the 2012 Pacific-Southwest Regional Conference of College Music Society and the 2011 Annual Conference of Arizona Music Educators Association. In 2017, the ensemble also was awarded second place in the American Prize Choral Competition for the college/university division. Dr. Elizabeth Schauer, professor of music and associate director of choral activities, is in her fourteenth year as conductor of Symphonic Choir.